Medical Patch Adhesion Detection via Resonant Circuit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical patches struggle to reliably detect detachment from the skin, which can disrupt communication with in-vivo devices and lead to malfunctions in procedures like endoscopy, where proper adhesion is critical for effective monitoring and medicative delivery.
Innovation Solution
A patch with an adhesive layer and a communication circuit that includes a current sensor and a resonant circuit with a coil antenna and capacitor, which senses changes in current to determine detachment from the skin, allowing for real-time indication of adhesion status and maintaining communication with in-vivo devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adhesive layer is used to attach patch to skin, then patch can be applied easily and continuously monitor patient parameters, but patch may detach from skin leading to communication disruption and procedure malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism by continuously monitoring the resonant frequency of the coil antenna, which changes when the patch detaches from the skin. The system provides real-time feedback about adhesion status through current changes in the resonant circuit, allowing immediate detection and correction of detachment before communication failure occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical adhesion monitoring (physical inspection or manual checking) with an electrical sensing system. The resonant circuit with coil antenna detects detachment through electrical current changes, substituting mechanical detection methods with a more reliable electrical field-based sensing mechanism that operates continuously without human intervention.
2Measurement precision
If resonant circuit with coil antenna is used to detect detachment, then real-time adhesion status can be monitored, but device complexity increases due to additional sensors and circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The resonant circuit with coil antenna serves multiple functions: it acts as both the communication antenna for transmitting patient data and the sensing element for detecting patch detachment. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate detection hardware, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high measurement precision for adhesion status monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the communication function and the sensing function into a single integrated system. The coil antenna that communicates with external devices also serves as the sensor for detecting skin detachment through resonant frequency monitoring, combining two critical functions into one unified circuit architecture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The patch effectively alerts users or medical practitioners of detachment, ensuring proper reattachment or replacement, thereby maintaining continuous communication and procedure integrity, and providing accurate monitoring through capacitance detection mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
a resonant circuit. The resonant circuit includes a coil antenna and a capacitor
Implementation Method 2
a communication circuit that includes a current sensor and a resonant circuit. The resonant circuit includes a coil antenna and a capacitor
Implementation Method 3
an adhesive layer configured to adhere to skin of a person
Data Source
AI summary
A patch includes: an adhesive layer configured to adhere to skin of a person, and a communication circuit that includes a current sensor and a resonant circuit. The resonant circuit includes a coil antenna and a capacitor. The current sensor is configured to sense current in the communication circuit over time, where the sensed current has a known relationship to current through the coil antenna. The patch further includes at least one of a circuit or a processor configured to at least perform: determining that a change in the current through the coil antenna is greater than a threshold change, and providing, based on the determination, an indication that the adhesive layer is at least partially detached from the skin of the person.